Canucks 3 Flames 1: Preseason Postgame PatDown

The Vancouver Canucks saved their best for last -- at least as far as the pre-season goes. I'm sure the team is hoping it has more to offer once games actually matter. But on Friday, the Canucks got the kind of start they were looking for, spread their scoring and then put the Flames offence in a vice-grip over the final 40 minutes en route to a 3-1 victory. That left the Canucks with a 2-3-1 record in their six exhibition outings.

Here are some thoughts on the way things played out at Rogers Arena:

*Get used to seeing games that look like this from the Canucks. This is likely the template Rick Tocchet wants to use on many nights this season. It was far from a masterpiece, but the Canucks were effective in holding the Flames to just 18 shots on the night and only four over the final 20 minutes. By cutting down on shots, the Canucks made the night relatively easy for Thatcher Demko whose best stop came off Nazem Kadri in tight with seven minutes remaining in the third period. But other than that, the Canucks starter didn't need to be spectacular. I'm sure Demko could learn to get used to 17 save nights. 

*The Canucks penalty kill was strong throughout the preseason and was again on Friday thwarting both Flames power play opportunities. More than that though, the Canucks held the Flames top guns to just two shots on goal in four minutes with the man-advantage. For the pre-season, the Canucks successfully killed off 20 of 23 penalties (86.9%) -- and two of the goals they allowed came in that 10-0 loss to the Flames in the preseason opener. After that with NHL penalty killers in uniform, the Canucks surrendered just one goal while short-handed. That's a far cry from the league-worst penalty kill of 71.6% from last season.

*Teddy Blueger had a strong preseason for the Canucks. He was one of the team's best skaters in a 2-1 OT loss in Edmonton last week and on Friday was prominent again. Not only did he show deft touch beating Jacob Markstrom on a backhand deke midway through the second period, but was around the puck for much of the night. He set up Dakota Joshua for a good scoring chance off the rush in the first period and then had a chance himself in the second period before he scored his goal. The shots were 6-2 in the Canucks favour with Blueger on the ice at even strength in the game. And he led all Vancouver forwards and was second on the team with 2:12 of short-handed ice time. Based on his preseason prominence, Blueger looks like a solid addition to the bottom of the Canucks line-up. 

*The Canucks managed just six goals from forwards in the preseason, and Phil Di Giuseppe had two of them. In fact, he was the lone Vancouver forward to score multiple goals in exhibition action. Friday he showed quick hands in tight roofing a puck behind Jacob Markstrom. Last Saturday, those hands were on display with a nifty deflection goal against Edmonton. At the outset of camp, I didn't like the idea of PDG holding down a top six role on this hockey club. But credit where it's due. He has hustled. He has hit. And he's held up his end of the bargain offensively. There are still many questions about the Canucks heading into the season -- but Phil Di Giuseppe's spot in the line-up is no longer one of them. He's earned the coach's trust and hasn't looked out of place at all on the Canucks second line with JT Miller and Brock Boeser.

*Conor Garland didn't make much of his opportunity to skate with Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko in the preseason finale. The veteran winger was the only Canuck skater that did not attempt a shot on goal on Friday night. That was in 13:02 of even-strength play and 3:33 on the second power play unit. While he drew a Jacob Markstrom tripping call late, Garland's only notch on the final stat sheet was a blocked shot. Garland and Pius Suter had seemed to forge some chemistry through training camp and the early stages of the preseason. You have to wonder if Rick Tocchet will go back to that and move Anthony Beauvillier to the top line until Ilya Mikheyev is cleared for contact and is ready to be inserted in the line-up.

*There has to be concern for Carson Soucy who left Friday's game late in the second period with a suspected knee injury after he got tangled up with Yegor Sharangovich. Soucy left the game with 1:42 left in the middle period and did not return. Following the game Rick Tocchet said he did not have an update, so that situation bears monitoring through the weekend. Soucy started the night paired with Noah Juulsen and took an early hooking penalty on Adam Ruzicka. He and Juulsen didn't do a great job boxing out the Flames on Calgary's lone goal allowing Nazem Kadri to poke a loose puck past Thatcher Demko late in the first. But Soucy has been a part of the pre-season penalty kill and if his injury keeps him out of the opening night line-up, the Canucks depth on defense will immediately be put to the test.  Without Soucy, the Canucks ran with five defensemen for the third period. Ian Cole had a strong night playing primarily with Tyler Myers.

*STATS PACK: Quinn Hughes led the Canucks in ice-time on Friday at a very manageable 23:30. Without Soucy, however, Hughes was forced to log 9:06 of the third period. Elias Pettersson led the Canucks with five shots on goal. Noah Juulsen and Dakota Joshua shared the team lead with three hits apiece. Both of them levelled Flames forward Matthew Coronato. As a team, the Canucks got smoked in the face-off circle going 24 & 35 (41%). Among the regular centres, Pius Suter was the only one that held his own winning 8 of his 16 draws.